They often face criticism, but it’s time to give Pro Football Focus some credit. In an era where it feels like you need to subscribe to ten different streaming services just to watch every Philadelphia Eagles game, PFF stands out as one of the premium platforms we’re willing to pay for.
Their content is top-notch. We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve eagerly logged in to see how many Eagles made it onto one of their lists. We’re constantly checking player ratings and are hooked on their stat engine (even if we don’t always understand the calculations behind it).
Sure, there might be a knowledge gap on our end, and PFF isn’t perfect—they do get it wrong sometimes. After all, we’ve had moments where we wondered what game they were watching during the latest Eagles matchup.
Will Shipley and E.J. Jenkins are noticeably absent from PFF’s highest-graded offensive players from their Week 2 win.
There wasn’t much offensive firepower in a game where Philly had only managed six points for most of the first and second half. However, upon closer inspection, there were plenty of reasons to be proud of the key contributors in what was otherwise a straightforward performance.
Here are the highest-graded offensive players from their win in Foxborough.
- Tanner McKee, QB – 85.3
- Joseph Ngata, wide receiver – 83.9
- Fred Johnson, offensive lineman – 73.6
- Nick Gates, OL – 70.4
- Will Grier, QB – 69.8
- Brett Toth, OL – 69.4
- Kendall Milton, RB – 67.2
Here’s where we throw the challenge flag. Where are Will Shipley and E.J. Jenkins?
For the second consecutive week, Shipley was one of the Eagles’ most active rushers. Sure, he averaged only three yards per carry on five attempts, but he also caught four of five targets for 31 yards.
Yes, there are areas where he can improve, such as blocking, but shouldn’t he be graded higher than Will Grier?
E.J. Jenkins’ absence is another puzzling decision. He made five receptions for 47 yards, including a 19-yard catch.
Maybe he needed to get in the end zone, which could explain why Kendall Milton is mentioned. Still, it seems reasonable that Jenkins’ grade should at least be over 70.
Nolan Smith is among the noticeable absences from PFF’s highest-graded defensive players from their Week 2 win while Bryce Huff might be rated too low.
No disrespect intended, but PFF seems to be a bit more enthusiastic about the Eagles’ linebacker corps than the rest of us. Four of them ranked among Philly’s top seven players on their Week 2 highest-graded defenders list.
- Nakobe Dean, linebacker – 90.0
- Avonte Maddox, defensive back – 89.9
- Zack Baun, LB – 80.4
- Devin White, LB – 76.1
- Ben VanSumeren, LB – 74.0
- Bryce Huff, EDGE – 72.7
- Tarron Jackson, EDGE – 70.4
It seems like Nolan Smith deserves some recognition here, and the same goes for Moro Ojomo. Smith recorded a sack, added a QB hit, and made a tackle for loss. Ojomo created some disruption during his time on the field, though it didn’t show up on the stat sheet—maybe that’s the reason for the oversight.
Johnson, who was a Week 1 hero, didn’t get a mention either, despite nearly securing a sack that almost led to an interception. Bryce Huff probably deserves a higher grade as well; two solo tackles (and three total) on just about 12 snaps should count for something.
But, once again… these are PFF’s rankings, so what do we know?
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